ginnysher

We are leaving on 12/7/05 for a 20 day CR adventure including 5 days of scuba diving in the Guanacaste area. Our itinerary is as follows:

4 nights Arenal at Arenal Observatory. Stop at Fortuna Falls on the way there. Cano Negro Refuge; Pure Trek/Waterfall rapel; Hanging Bridges; hot springs someplace and whatver else we can squeeze in

3 nights Monteverde at El Sapo Dorado; Sky Trek Zip line; Cloud Forest

6 nights in Guanacaste (help needed here)We have not booked anyplace yet but are considering Ocotal Resort, Sugar Beach Resort or Flamingo Beach Resort. We will have a car, but need to be within reasonable distance to a good dive operator such as the one at Ocotal (or other recommendation). Ocotal is telling us they have no (affordable for us) rooms. Does anyone have any advice as to the best place to stay that will also accomodate our diving needs?

5 nights in Manuel Antonio at Costa Verde Hotel; No adventures planned yet, but advice also appreciated for this portion of our trip.

Last night in SJO at Orquideas Inn.

Thanks Fodor.com posters for any advice you can offer. We're excited about our first trip to CR.

Regards,
Ginny

guanacaste

the main dive resort in guanacaste is playa del coco:

http://costa.rica.typepad.com/playa_...ome/index.html

however, it's not a nice beach and there are lots of bars and restaurants to keep you awak in your hotel at night.
12km away is playa hermosa:

http://costa.rica.typepad.com/playa_...ome/index.html

it's a clean beach with great snorkelling and the dive operators here -diving safaris- are excellent!

la fortuna is a nice town- i really enjoyed the cano negra refuge and you shouldn't miss the catarata waterfall, check out my la fortuna travelblog:

http://costa.rica.typepad.com/la_for...ome/index.html

kthyrn

Twenty days in CR-- how wonderful!! You will love it. Sounds like you will also get a good sampling of the diversity CR has to offer w/ your itinerary. I'm definitely not a CR expert, but had an awesome 14 day trip there last Dec. I can speak to a few of your plans. Manuel Antonio is really nice and the main attraction there is the beach and the MA Park (which is partially on the beach-- some forest areas too to see wildlife-- we saw lots of monkeys, a sloth among others). The Sky Trek zip line and hanging bridges in Monteverde is lots of fun. The zip lines are so much fun-- it was my first and only time and it was awesome! There are 11 zips at Sky Trek. There is also a butterfly observatory and hummingbird place close by and very interesting if you need to fill a little time in Monteverde. Definitely worth seeing. Also visited a local coffee farm while there. It's a really small village, so you are able to take in the flavor of the locals. In Arenal you must go to the hot springs--it can definitely be a full day (and night) adventure. We went to Tabacon but there are others. The weather was cloudy and foggy most of the time we were in Arenal, which is fairly common, so the springs were a nice alternative when the weather didn't cooperate. Hope this helps some. I found this board incredibly helpful for our trip planning!!

Have a great time!

shillmac

ginnysher,
Although Flamingo Beach Resort is not a luxe place, it is an excellent value with very close access to one of the most beautiful beaches in the country. It will always be one of our favorite hotels in the area. Not as isolated at Sugar Beach (also a great place) and easier to get around without spending too much time. There is a dive place on the premises and another in the town of Flamingo. It would be worth checking into. Flamingo Beach sunsets are awesome!

There is also a salon offering fabulous massages on site--and bathtubs in the rooms, somewhat rare in CR unless spending big bucks!

cesca

While I am the biggest fan of Sugar Beach that there is, I don't think it is the dive resort that you are looking for. Much better for diving would be Flamingo. We have never stayed in Flamingo but spent time there and it is really a neat little town. The Flamingo Beach hotel is more reasonable in price than Ocotal or Sugar Beach and both are probably booked by now anyway. The beach in Flamingo is beautiful! Enjoy!!

dariow

I would spend a few less days in Guanacaste and Manuel Antonio and instead stay 3-4 days in Osa.

sandyc

20 days -- lucky you! Everything sounds great, but if you're really into scuba diving, Guanacaste is not the best place. If you're stuck on that, I'd stay at Sugar Beach. Since you have plenty of time though, I'd skip Guanacaste altogether and do my diving at Cano Island. That is absolutely the best snorkeling and diving in Costa Rica.

Pura Vida!
Sandy

ginnysher

Thanks everyone for the input. I had to take a few days off from this website due to the serious illness of a dear friend. I booked what I could and will let fate take its course otherwise.

FWIW, we were really set on diving in Osa, but the logistics of getting there with our vehicle or otherwise put a damper on it. We are bringing our own dive gear and the weight restrictions on flying wouldn't be an option. Maybe on our next trip, we'll get to Cocos on a liveaboard. One can hope...eh?

Thanks, again. Ginny

patams

A few months ago, it seemed there were more positive posts on MA than now. I already booked a house for 6 nights near MA and now I am reading a lot of suggestions about skipping MA. Can someone give me some positive suggestions on what to do in the MA area? Our family and friends want relaxation and fun excursions along with wildlife. We will spend the first 4 days in Arenal. Also most of our group really likes the water and this area seemed to have better beaches for swimming and underwater exploring. Opinions welcomed! We are all first timers in Costa Rica.

shillmac

ginnysher, sounds like you have what you want to do and can do very well thought out. I hope you have a great time. The Osa is fantastic, but Guanacaste has a charm all its own, and you'll enjoy yourselves there.

patams, Manuel Antonio is a great place and you will love it. It is very beautiful, and there is so much to do, your days will fly by. With 6 days, you'll have time (if you want) to venture down south to Dominical & Dominicalito and even points just a little further south. Playa Ventana is fun with its caves. You park at a house just outside the beach area, pay them a small sum to watch your vehicle, then walk a short distance to the beach.

You haven't made a mistake whatsoever. Relax--you'll see!! There are falls combined with horseback riding (Finca Valmy tour),--you can do that near Dominical also; kayaking, exploring the park and its beaches is always a highlight; there is lots of wildlife to see. North of Manuel Antonio there are 2 parks/reserves that would be worth your time: Carara Biological Reserve and Turu-Bari Park. These would make fun day trips. All is well--just have a wonderful time!

patams

Shillmac, you have made my month!!!!! I was afraid I had made a terrible mistake!!! I was also thinking that Dominical was too far to even think of driving to for a day trip. We had planned to rent a car for at least 5 days in MA/Quepos and thanks to you, it seems there are lots of places to explore. That is what our group loves to do. Would you recommend a zipline in the Quepos area or should they do that in the Arenal area? You have really helped this old lady who wants to keep her status as a good trip planner.

shillmac

From one old lady to another: enjoy the ziplining!

Haven't done the zips at either place; we did ours in the Rincon de la Vieja a few years ago, and haven't felt the need to repeat the experience yet, but loved it. I think most of them are comparable. The one at Arenal gets more reviews (and good ones) than the ziplines at Manuel Antonio. I think that when people are at a beach location, they tend to do things more "beachy". Inland locations seem to lend themselves more to activities such as ziplines.

I'm so glad you are feeling more comfortable now. I was reading another thread where dfarmer had responded to you regarding Manuel Antonio. She is so right--Arenal and MA are such perfect locations for first timers for all the reasons she stated. And, once you have been there, done that, you'll want to explore the less traveled areas. Assuming you fall in love with Costa Rica the way most of us have. Some even obsessively!

As for the road to Dominical, do check on it (of course you will) because of all the rains in that area these past months. I'm sure by now there have been some repairs.

I learned something interesting (and it made sense) last July. There has been a lot of talk of getting that notorious road in decent shape. Apparently, the Quepos "powers that be" don't want it in better shape--and it is in their jurisdiction. They would prefer that people not be able to easily head on south of there. Politics always. . .

We have been to Manuel Antonio twice, once for 2 nights (Si Como No) and another time for just one night during a weekend (took our daughter who didn't have much time but wanted to see the park). Any information I pass to you (regarding all the varied activities) comes from other posters on this board and our own plans to do those things next time we are there--like the Finca Valmy tour. Everyone has given it such rave reviews--it sounds like a very fun day.

We did spend some time in Dominical in July and loved that area--several had told us it wasn't worth our time. Not so.

When are you going?

dfarmer

As of last report a week ago, the road to Dominical had not been repaired. It is passable, but with 4x4 only. You have to cross a river, where the road was washed away.

patams

We are arriving on Dec. 7 and going directly to Arenal Observatory Lodge for three nights. On Dec. 10 going to a rental house near MA, Casa de Las Brisas, for the remainder of our trip. We are being picked up at SJO by a private transfer that the Lodge arranged to Arenal and traveling by private transfer, Leonardo Rodriguez whom we learned about from this forum, on Dec. 10 to Quepos/Ma. We return on the 16 to NC. I am getting so excited I can hardly stand it. Hey, not me on the zipline! That will be for the others in our group. I do plan to maybe swing on the swinging bridge just so they won't tease me too much for not doing something more daring. Also, thanks, dfarmer, for the information about the roads. I have had to drive in a lot of water here in NC after the 30 inches of rain we had in a period of a couple of weeks. I feel sure we will rent a 4 x 4.

wherenext

My family of five three kids under 10 did the Ziplines in Quepos and we all loved it. Fun, exciting and beautiful. The great thing is that it is only about 15 minutes from the MA area. All ages will be thrilled. We were in MA for 5 nights and we never got bored. Lots of things to do! A great blend of jungle and beach in one place.

dariow

One option is to do Osa at the end of your trip. You can drive your car back to San Jose and fly to Osa. Osa does have great diving plus it is really beautiful.

In any case, have a great trip.